Haru
by MuSiC HaTs
Summary: Some people say that spring is lonely, that she wants more in her life. But doesn't she have everything? Spring is immortal; she could have anything she wanted. SasuSaku.


_**Hold on. before I say anything else...YOSH! I DID IT!! I FINISHED HARU!!! YAAAA!**_

**_Ok. S'all good. Okay! So, this is the second oneshot of the Seasons series!! I'm uber proud, becasue I thought that I would never be able to do this one. Writing SasuSaku was hard...So yeah! I really, really, really, really, REALLY hope that you all like it!! So, read on!! Enjoy Haru!_**

**Disclaimer: I, under no circumstance, and no matter how cool it would be, do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form. The characters are just puppets that I'm borrowing for creative uses.**

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* * *

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_It is known that every year, on the twentieth of March, she awakens._

_Spring. _

_The moment she rises, the earth shifts; the air seems sweeter, the scenery brighter than ever. She dances from here to there; brushing her hands along trees and flowers, smiling as they burst into life. If they listen hard enough, they can hear her, her laughter as thin as the wind itself. She is always in the field the most, and they say that she lives on the Sakura tree, and sits on the largest branches, watching over everyone._

_Some say that Spring is lonely._

_Many people swear that they once saw her, sobbing on her Sakura tree. They say that Spring is tired, that even though she's happy with her life, she wants more. But what more could she want? Doesn't she have everything?_

_Spring is immortal; there's all the time in the world to find out._

_`* Haru*`_

March 28

It was warm out today; the sky was the purest shade of blue she'd ever seen, and not a single cloud was in the sky. The green, green grass swayed in the breeze, the ripples making her think of the waves of the ocean. Emerald eyes stared out at the lively scenery, and a slim hand reached out, slim fingers lightly stroking the bare branch, and watched as it instantly burst into life, the pink sakura already blooming.

Sakura…that was her name; she'd given it to herself a long, long time ago.

She sighed softly, the grass moving in time with each breath; how long has it been? How many years has she been here? She can't remember…She just remembered _being_; no name, no memory of a family…she just _was._

With a grace she'd been born with, Sakura stood, and swiftly climbed higher up the tree. She was so lonely; she really hoped that someone would come and visit her today-

"Naruto, look! Look at all the flowers!!"

"Hinata, slow down!! You'll get tired out again!"

Her ears twitched at the voices, and Sakura looked out, and saw the people who answered her small prayer. A girl was running through the tall grass, no younger than she was; her dark hair streamed over her shoulders, and her pale eyes were alive with excitement, pale skin flushed pink. Running after her was a boy, his hair as golden as wheat, and eyes the color of the sky itself.

The girl skipped over to Sakura's tree, and placed her small hands onto the bark, looking at the pink blossoms with a child-like awe. Standing on her tiptoes, she stretched upward, and reached out, her fingers barely brushing the silky petals. But, apparently it was enough for her, as she smiled widely in glee, giving Sakura a glimpse of sharp canines.

'_A vampire,'_ she mused, '_that's rare; I thought they were dying out…'_ She'd heard this from a pair of gossipers, who'd passed by her small clearing one afternoon.

"Hinata!" Sakura stared at the boy, as he ran up to Hinata and placed his hands on her shoulders, "you shouldn't run around so much! You'll get tired, and-"

"But I haven't seen flowers in so long, Naruto!!" Hinata giggled, "I haven't been outside in _years!_" But even as she said that, Sakura saw that Hinata had gotten paler, the healthy flush drained from her face.

Naruto sighed, "I told you," he chided softly, "you should be more careful, Hina-"

He was cut off, as Hinata pulled his face down to hers, and it went quiet. Suddenly, the faint tang of copper hit Sakura's nose, and soft dripping filled the air. Then, the couple below her parted, and she saw a faint ribbon of red down both of their chins. Hinata licked her lips, and wiped the remaining blood away, smiling softly, "I'll get over this soon," she whispered, "it's because I haven't been out in such a long time…"

"I know. You're right; it'll get better. Now, c'mon! I promised that I would take you to the ocean, right…?"

"Yes!"

And with that, they grasped each other's hands tightly, and ran out of the clearing; leaving Sakura to stare after them until they'd completely left her vision. The smell of blood grew stronger as she neared the blood, and she stared at the small drops of crimson on the grass. The contrast of it was lovely, and she just wanted to stare at the bright colors. The two people, Naruto and Hinata, flashed across her mind, and Sakura smiled. She witnessed something private between the two of them; she'll make a reminder for herself, because she doesn't want to forget them.

She dipped her fingers into the crimson stain, and turned to her tree, smearing the blood across a bare branch. Leaping onto the branch, Sakura leaned over, and exhaled softly over the bark, rubbing the blood into the bark. Before her eyes, the branch bloomed, but instead of pink sakura, the petals were creamy lavender, mixed with swirls of sky blue, the center of the flowers as golden as wheat. Sakura stared at her new creation, her reminder of her two visitors, and smiled.

It was beautiful, and so it would stay.

_^*^_

'_Bm-bmp-bm-bmp-bm-bmp'_

His heartbeat pounded in his ears, beating in time to the rhythm of his paws hitting the earth. How long? How long has it been, since he'd been…

"_-banished. Exiled from-"_

He'd lost count as they days went by, each day stretching on for what felt like years. He was loosing himself; he'd forgotten what it was like to speak, to have a cooked meal, to walk on two normal legs. His humanity was slipping trough his fingers like sand, no matter how tightly he held on. The only thing he was able to clutch close was his name.

_Sasuke Uchiha. _

Suddenly, he skid to a stop, his side hitting the bark of a tree, chest heaving as he caught his breath. One day, he would no longer be stuck in this form. One day, he would be human again. As his breathing calmed, and his heart slowed to a calm tempo, a soft noise hit his ears, and they perked upward. A soft humming, as quiet as the wind itself, brushed across him, the tune moving in time with the breeze. Focusing on the noise, Sasuke slowly crept forward, searching for the source. As he grew closer, the humming slowly got louder, as he quietly slipped into a small clearing. Even though there was no wind, the grass still swayed, moving in the steady tempo of someone's breathing. In his peripheral vision, Sasuke saw something move on one of the branches of the sakura tree.

Crouching low, Sasuke crept slowly towards the sakura tree, not wanting to scare whatever or whoever was on the tree. As he got closer, he saw the silhouette of a girl on the branch. She looked around his age, her form relaxed, as she swung her legs in time with her humming. Sasuke sat and stared up at her, wondering why she was there. As though he had spoken, the girl stopped humming and looked down at him, as though she knew he was always there.

Instantly, Sasuke was on alert, and he jumped back, a growl sliding between his bared teeth. But the girl hadn't been fazed by his actions, and she jumped from the tree, touching down like some kind of cat. As she stood, Sasuke was finally able to see her face. It was pale, heart-shaped, and framed by short hair, as pink as the sakura on the tree. Her eyes were a shade of green as light as the swaying grass around him. Inhaling deeply, Sasuke took in her scent, memorized it.

She smelled like spring; flowers, warm air, and freshly fallen rain. The girl smiled, her entire face alight with happiness, "hello," she whispered, "you're the third person to visit me today" Her smile was radiant, "I'm lucky today…that's the most amount of people I've ever gotten…"

Sakura'd never been so happy in her life.

She'd never gotten so many visitors; not in all of her many lives. The smile never disappeared, as she stared at the wolf before her. Its fur was a shade of black that was almost blue. Its eyes were dark obsidian, with an underlying crimson in their depths. It was a beautiful animal, but Sakura sensed that this wolf was something…something else. It gave off an air of intelligence, an aura of humanity. This was no ordinary wolf; Sakura had a feeling about that.

She kneeled close to the wolf, and slowly, hesitantly, placed a small hand into its silky fur. _'Could he possibly be Were…? Those are more rare than the Vampires…'_ her brows wrinkled, '_he's so intelligent…and there are barely any wolves around here…so he has to be.'_ "Why can't you change back…?" Sakura asked, and she felt the wolf's muscles tense up, and a small growl erupted. Sakura continued to calmly stroke his fur, and continued, "I've never known a Were that couldn't shift back…or else I'm missing something?" Dark eyes found hers, and Sakura knew that she'd hit the mark. She nodded softly, "okay…Well, then. You can stay with me. I'll help you" Sakura placed her head next to his, "I'll find a way to change you back"

"*"

The two were quite inseparable after that night.

Sakura spent all day talking to her silent companion, switching between talking about her life, and questioning him about his. She asked him about the small amount of Were clans she knew, hoping that one day, she would get the right one. Sasuke always sat there and listened to Sakura as she spoke, sometimes wishing that he could talk back. As far as he knew, she's been very lonely for…as long as she could remember.

The two of them were always together, except when Sasuke left at night to hunt for food. Sakura enjoyed their time together, knowing that it wouldn't last very long, so she was thankful for every day of it. It was now about mid-April, and they still hadn't found any information about Sasuke's pack. Then, one day, as two men went past her clearing, Sakura heard it.

"_Hey, did you hear? The Uchiha Weres…they've got a new heir."_

"_Really? Wow...well, after one dying from an illness, and another banished…what was his name? Sasuke, I think…"_

"_Yeah. Someone has to take over someday, right?"  
"Yeah. The Weres must go on. They can't die out yet…"_

Sakura skipped back to her tree, where Sasuke was curled up, asleep, and slid back into her place next to him, almost trembling with excitement. She couldn't wait to tell him what she'd just heard today. She might've just found his pack.

_^*^_

Sasuke was frozen, as he digested the information that Sakura just told him. He had awoken from his nap, to see Sakura lying next to him, trembling; her eyes alight with excitement and discovery. Then, as he stood up and stretched, she exploded, bursting forth with a flood of information.

His pack had a new heir…_a new heir._ He couldn't believe it…_they'd forgotten him. _

He was officially dead to his pack.

Sasuke didn't know what to do; he felt lost…he had nothing…nothing…But at the same time…he felt free. Like the bonds that held him down, the bonds that kept him away from his humanity, had fallen away.

With his loss, he felt like he'd gained something as well. Sakura, who had stared at his frozen form, wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "maybe I shouldn't have told you all that…"

Sasuke turned and bumped his muzzle against her head, a sign that he was fine, and she had no reason to apologize. Sakura heaved a sigh, and flopped back into the grass. "What will you do, now?" she asked the sky, " Where will you go?"

Sasuke stared down at this beautiful creature staring up him, her hands running through the grass, and huffed. As he settled down next to her, placing his head atop her stomach, he knew that he couldn't go anywhere without her.

"*"

Sakura twisted her fingers as she stared out of her clearing, her eyes bright with worry. Where was Sasuke? Where was her wolf? She just woke up and he wasn't there, the spot on her side where he usually was cold. All day she tried to occupy herself, replacing the dying branch of her golden moonflowers, her reminder for Naruto and Hinata, she listened to the gossip of the passing villagers, watched the children who ran into her clearing, screaming, to play tag. But all the while, her missing wolf sat in the back of her mind, prodding her with sharp barbs of worry.

She should've known that this day would come.

She should've expected it like she expected her own end at the end of every Spring. But Sasuke was always there; she couldn't help but think sometimes, just maybe, he might never leave her. It was getting late, and Sakura was sitting on her branch, making a crown of flowers, when she saw someone, and she jerked around. It was a boy; he looked around her age, maybe a little bit older. He was tall and pale, his windswept black hair falling into his face. He was wearing a pair of green pants, and nothing else. He looked like he'd run the entire way here.

The boy raised a hand, flicking his hair away from his eyes, and Sakura saw that they were dark obsidian, with crimson in their depths. She froze, her half-done crown slipping through her numb fingers. No way…it couldn't be…could it?

"Sakura"

And when he spoke, she knew. That was her wolf. She blinked, shocked, before a slow, euphoric smile spread across her face. "Sasuke…_Sasuke!"_ In the blink of an eye, she was off the tree, across the field, and had thrown herself into his arms. Sasuke held her in a vice-like grip, and she held him just as tightly, like she wanted to burrow beneath his skin.

"It's you" she breathed, "You're here…how were you able to…?"

He didn't answer, instead, he stepped backwards, his hands on her shoulders. "Come with me" he said in a rush, "we can go anywhere. Anywhere you want. The mountains, the ocean…anywhere you want. Just as long as you're there. With me." Sakura stared at him, confused, before the words finally hit her, and when they did, a wave of despair crashed over her.

"Oh…" she sighed, "Sasuke…I'm sorry…" He saw the sadness, the hopelessness in her eyes, and shook her lightly, wanting to know why.

Unable to look him in the eye, she pulled away from him, and walked over to her tree, placing a hand on the bark. "I can't leave because of this tree" she whispered, "I'm bound to it. I can't leave this tree, and when it dies…when it dies, so do I" She stared at him over her shoulder, "I am the tree. The tree is I. I've lived and died over and over for centuries" her smile was slightly bitter, "I'm like some phoenix." She stared at her tree until it blurred before her eyes, and she blinked, letting the tears fall. "It's not _fair_," her voice broke, "I want to leave. I want to live longer than just a few months!"

She whirled around; shocked to see the Sasuke was right behind her, his dark eyes now bleeding into crimson. "I _want_ to leave. I want to see the mountains, and the ocean, and see fall and summer and winter. But I _can't._ I –" Sasuke suddenly pulled her to him, and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her with all the force he had. "Why won't you _try_?" he growled, once they'd jerked apart," why do you give up so easily? I will not leave until you are by my side. I _refuse_ to give you up" This made Sakura's tears fall faster, "but I don't know _how_" she cried, " I've been trying for _one hundred years._ I don't know what else to _do_."

She pulled Sasuke's face back down to hers, kissing him roughly, "I've tried burning it, I've tried cutting it down, I almost tried to kill myself. But," she chuckled thickly, "that wouldn't have made any sense…" Sakura looked up, wanting to burn Sasuke's face into her memory, "my time is running out," she whispered. Sasuke scowled; he would not give up, he _refused_ to give up. "I will not let you die," he growled, grabbing her hand. Raising their twined hands up, he brushed his nose against the prominent blue vein on her wrist.

Closing his eyes, he inhaled, taking in her scent, "you will not leave me, Sakura." Sasuke whispered, before turning his head, and sinking his teeth into her wrist.

^"*"^

_May 1__st_

Sakura breathed in the fragrance of the sakura for the last time, her hands rubbing soothing circles into the rough bark. "So…" she whispered, "so, this…this is goodbye." It was sad, that she was leaving the only home she'd ever had, but, in leaving it, she was heading to someplace better.

"Sakura"

She'd smelled him before she heard him, so when she turned to Sasuke, her smile was huge. Closing her eyes, she inhaled one last time, and rubbed her hands on the tree, before pushing off and heading towards her new future. "I'm ready" she grasped Sasuke's hand, "let's go"

He smiled down at her, a real, genuine smile, before grabbing her hand, and together they ran out of the clearing. In the blink of an eye, instead to two people, two wolves were running. One a male with fur so black it was blue, and his new companion, a smaller female, with deep, pink-red fur.

* * *

**_And it is _**DONE.**_ Hell to the yeah!!_**

**_I got Sakura's supernaturalness from the Greek mythological creature called a Dryad. Here's the definition in a nutshell:_**

_'Nymphs who lived in trees and died when the tree died. Like the freshwater nymphs known as naiads and the ocean-going Nereids, dryads were minor deities of a less-than-Olympian order, with limited powers and lacking immortality.'_

**_But I twisted it, and gave Sakura powers and immortality. Because I can do that._**

**_So-please, please, please PLEASE review. I worked so freaking hard on this. My eyes ache, and I need a nap. So, ta-ta!!_**

_~MuSiC HaTs~_


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